peters



' other 4PATENT OEEICE EDWARD H. KNIGHT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN GGVERNORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,41 l. dated November 6, 1866.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known tha-t I, EDWARD H. KNIGHT, of Washington` in the District of Columbia, United States, have invented e new and usefnl Im rovement in Governors for Steam end ngines; and I do hereby declare the following to be nfnll, clear, and exact descripi tion of the nature, construction, and operation of the same, snlicient to enable one skilled in the art to whichit apperteins toconstruct and use the seme, reference being had to the se companying drawings, which are made part of this specification, and in which similar letters refer to corresponding parte in the diler-4 ent figures.

By my invention I give en automatic adinstnient or free motion in a. horizonti plane to the exis from which the governor-balls are suspended, so that the. bells are, permitted to swing with freedom in such a direction es is duc to the speed and proportions of the parts.

My governor arms or bells are not confined by guides or. by the relative iminobility of their hin gingnxes to any prescribed path, as in the usuel form, where the arms4 rise in the plane of the exis of rotation of the central shaft, or as in forms where they. swing lin planes tangential to the circle described by their points of' suspension, or as in other forms where they swing in other prescribed paths. A

, In ell these cases the erm, being upon e. fixed exis, must (except et c certain speed bind in some degree against its guides, if i has any, or its bearing will be twisted or luterelly strained by compelling the halls to rise in directions which are not coincident with their tendencies under their conditions of speed and proportions. ,I svoidl the ext-rn friction which is dce to the compulsory action described, by permitting the ballsto swing freely in such curves as their changing velocities incline them to describe; and thevertical rise of the bells, whether the swing ot' their arms be more or less nearly radial, is equally effective at eny given portion ot' their range of motion nponA the plete which is actuated by their verticali motions.`

It is desirable that when the governor con mences to revolve the' bells shall -.be so snspended as by their inertie to leg behind and -Inore radi swing in adirecticn nearly tangential to the circle described by their points of suspension thisn being about, their natural nu@ ofinitial motion, and any guide or permanent exis 'which tends to restrain them from this lise mnch es they tend outwardly, they increase' .the diameter ot the path described under increasing speed, thus rocking their arms more and more nearly redini to the axis of revolu. tion. Any detention in o prescribed plane of motion relatively to the exis involves friction and loss of sensitiveness.

By my invention the balls ere free to swing in sch s, direction as may be induced by their speed and proportions, ascending or descending underohanges of speed in euch curves as may result from the. combined forces of gravity and centrifugal impulse under the conditions of free pivotal attachment to points on e horlzontelly rotating plone.

The design is to make the bells. promptly responsive to every accession 'or diminution of impellin g force, and l ind that the inertiaofthe halls developed by the accession of speed and demonstrated by their tendency to lag behind is :noch more immediately responsive end active then the tendency'to assume e more radial relative position. To be edecti ve et all requires Athat the bells shell rise; but their eii'eot, due to their 4inertie under e endden quickening of the impulse, is much more immediatel responsive than .the outward or a? position which soon ensues Figures 1, and 2 are elevations vfrom diier ent pointent' view of my governor, so arranged las to depress and elevate the upper plete, the Y depression and elevation of the plete and the sheave above it being positive motions derived above or below a certain point.

from the vertical movements of the ball. Fig. is a detached view of one curved toc, with a portion ci' the plaie on which it is pivoted and journalcd, and also ot' the one above it. In this modilication the upper plate is depressed by a spring, assisted by its own gravity, when by the rising of the ball the curved toc is rotated in a vertical plane, the return motion or lifting ofthe plate being accomplished by the depression of the governorlballs. Fig. 4 is a detached view of a modification, ditlering from Fig. 3 in this respect only, that the rising ot' the ball elevates the plate which rests upon the curved toe, the re turn motion being made by the gravitj'oil the plate, assisted by a spring, if necessary. Figs.

`5 and G are elevations from two different points ol" view of a n'ioditication in which the carriage, from which the ball is suspended, is supported by bearings above and below, the curved toe spanning the bracket which forms the upper bearing. Fig. 7 shows a detached portion of a modification, in which the supporting-bracket extends below the plate, instead of above it. This form diilers from Figs. 5 and 6 in this respect: In Fig. 6 the carriage is supported by pivots or bearings above and below; in Fig. 7, by an extended bearing below. In the former case the curved toe is re` quired to span the carriage and supportingbracket; in the latter caseit spans the carriage only. In the former case an advantage is derived from the mode of supporting; in the latter case an advantage may arise from diminishing the length of the toe. Fig. 8 is an illustration of a peculiar form of toc, arranged to allow the upper plate to drop by the vertical motion of the balls in either direction from a given vertical position. The object of this ligure is to illustrate the fact that the toe may be iliade of such a form as to drop the plate by a vertical motion either Fig. 9 shows a modification, possessing the same general characteristics as the other figures in respect of the revolution in a horizontal plane of the axis from which the governor arms and balls are suspended, but differing from the former figures in this respect, that the curved toe, spur, or cam is below the axis of oscillation of the governor-arm, which may somewhat facilitate the suspension of the governor from the ceiling or from a point above, rather than upon a post or other sub-support.

In Fig 10 a spur or linger, V, from above the hinging-joint ofthe governor-arm projects upward, and is jointed to a link, I?, pivoted above to aspindle, I, in the plate F. The linger V and link P together form a toggle, and the upward motion of the ball bends the toggle and brings the pla-te F nearer to the plate B, the two ends of the toggle heilig hinged in bearings which are capable of horizontal rota'tion in ,the .respective `plates F B. The downward motion of the ball restores the normal position.

The parts may be so arranged as to straighten the toggle by the raising of the ball, it' so desired. A different eii'ect in the graduation ot the movement oi' thc ball will be thereby pro duced.

In the drawings: A represents a standard or post which supports the revolving portion ci' the governor. B is the plate from which the balls C are suspended b v the arms l). The latter have their bearings in the carriages E, which are pivoted in the plate B.

Under the required impulse the ball C rises vertically, vibrating on its horizontal bearings in the carriage, while it can move horizontally by the rotation ot' its supportilig-carriage in a horizontal plane on its vertical bearing in the plate B. The motion of the ball under an increment or diminution of speed will call into play both these adjustments, as the' ball will ascend or descend in curves of increasing' or decreasing radii.

It is this freedom of motion which forms the distinguishing characteristic of my governor, as the balls are not compelled to follow any particular track by guides or by bearings whichA have no horizontal adjustlnent under impulses which tend in that direction. This general characteristic of freedom of motion is maintained in all the illustrations hereto annexed, while certain modifications of detail are apparent in the different figures.

Attached to the arms of the governor-balls are cams, toes, or tappets H, which move with the vertical motion of the balls irrespective of the actual position ot the carriages E in the plane of their horizontal adjustment.

It is preferred, as in Figs. 3, 4, 8, 9, that a vertical line through the axis of the carriage E shall strike the line of' the axes of suspension of the arms D, and also the point where the cam H touches the plate F, or, as in Figs. l and 2, when the cam en gages with the pivoted pin depending from the plate F. In these latter figures the vertical axes of the carriage E and swiveled pin I are coincident, and intersect the axis of the pin which traverses in the slot of' the cam H and the axis upon which the governor-ball arms are hinged or pivoted.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the axis of vibration of the ball-arms is somewhat on one side of the vertical line of the axis of horizontal vibration but the same principle is retained of vibration on the horizontal axis, to permit theballs to swing according to their tendency under the conditions of speed and proportions.

In Figs. l, 2, and 3 it will be perceived that the rising of the balls causes the downward motion ofthe plate F, to which the sheave G is attached, while inthe other iignres (except Fig. 8) the risingof the governor-balls has the ei'ect of raising the plate F. This variation is an optional feature, the respective values of the two plans varying, perhaps, with different circumstances.

ln Figs. 1. and 2 it may also be observed that the upward and downward motions of the plate F are both caused by the direct action of the balls as they fall or rise.

The carriage E and swiveled pin I are each easily rotated in o horizontal plane, so es to permit the formerly-(lesorbed motions of the balls. Theeam H in these gures hes a slot of the'required curve relatively tothe axis upon whieh ittnrns, so as to reise or drop the plate e given distance with a. given vertical motion of' the balls, more or less, and in such proportions as may be proper for the purpose designed.

The means by which the governor is driven is not material. `I have shown a. pair of bevel cog-wheels which run the vertical shaft O, on which the plate B is fastened, so es to be revolved with saidv shaft 0. Attached by a feather to the said shaft, but with a vertical arljnstabilty, is the plate F, which rises and falls as actuated by the governor-bells. A sheave or gland, G, is atmohe to plate F, and

revolves therewith` and upon this sheeve the arme of a. rod may be plaeed,so thetrthe ver tical movement of the plete may be oommunioeied to en arm, lever, or other mechanical device or means of transmitting motion to the throttle or other valve for regulating the seetional aree of steam-opening or other analogous adjustment.

Having described my improvement, whetI olaim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, .is-

A governor having its balls or Weightso supported ,as to ailord automatic adjustment or free motion in o horizontal plane to the oxes upon which the balls swing.'

EDWARD H. KNIGHT. Witnesses:

GEO; T. Jones, Oo'rAvIUs KNIGHT. 

